Geographical Regions of Magella
The continent of Magella was, throughout its history, separated into a number of regions with varying names and histories. These are known as the Geographical Regions of Magella. The nominal system that survives in most documents is that which was in used between MA 950 and MA 1060. However, the names and geographical locations of many artificial regions changed throughout the history of Magella due to the nature of political, social, ethnic, and cultural shifts during the continent's history. One of the most significant shifts of geographical categorization came just before and following the Judea Ponco War (MA 1062 - MA 1063) when many names changed to reflect poncoan dominance. The first major shift in geographical names occurred when Dellinian colonists forcefully appropriated the land from the native Nymphs and Elves in the early history of Magella. The original names of many regions, which were Nympheic, were lost, although some (such as Nymphanë) still existed during the Judea-Ponco War. The most universely recognized geographical names for Magella's regions, which come from the MA 950 to MA 1060 period, are: --Alvynnas Forest, the lush northeastern coast of Magella. Alvynnas was the original Nympheic name of this region, which was a socioeconomic center in Nymph-owned Magella. --Banor Wastes, an arid desert nestled along the Eldorian Mountains. It hosted, by MA 1000, a nation of pirates and thieves, the Banorian Republic, which gave the name Banor Wastes. --Chroniorve, a region that stretched part of the length of the River of Fate, Chroniorve (Fate's River) was the original Nympheic name. --Emeraldown Moors, an area of rolling hills encompassing Magella's southeast coast, situated between the Victorian Coast and the Troll-Dell Mountains. --Faeridane, one of two Magellan regions with Elven linguistic origins, it was north of the Victorian Coast and Emeraldown Moors. Faeridane was a traditionally Elven region, settled when the Elves colonized Magella, attempting to stablize the region and create a buffer preventing Dellin from further expansion. --Greater Judea, on Magella's east coast, bordering Alvynnas Forest and Chroniorve. Greater Judea was defined as the area which encompassed both the City of Judea and its many smaller satellite cities. --Nymphanë Lowlands, on Magella's west coast, north of the Eldorian Mountains, another major region during the Nympheic history of Magella. The city of Ciona was here. --Shior Velas, below the Nymphanë Lowlands, Shior Velas was the Nympheic name for this region, which was named for its lake, Shior Velas (known in Alleic as the Shiorwell), the largest lake on Magella. --Spyrehills, defined by its hills, a region in central Magella, extending to the eastern coast. --Suwrest Farmlands, a fertile region near the Victorian Coast, these farmlands were an agricultural outpost used by the Kingdom of Ponco to supply its major cities. --Sylcoast, the second of two Elven areas of Magella, Sylcoast was originally "Sylneor." This is where the Elves, sending their Nympheic cousins help during the Dellinian invasion, first landed and settled. It remained Magella's Elven capital until the Judea-Ponco War, when politics devided the Elven population and the Sylcoast was ultimately appropriated by Ponco. --Sýsto, a large island north of Magella. The city of Awe Orunve, on Systo's north coast, was the the seat of Nympheic power in Magella prior to the Dellinian invasion. The city, and the entire island, then became a Dellian settlement until MA 1027 when it was invaded by the forces of Toltus Alvedi. --Troll-Dell Mountains, a mountain-range on Magella's east coast, north of the Emeraldown Moors. The mountains were name after their dual heritage. Originally owned by Dellin, and called the "Far Mountains" of Dellin, because they were Dellin's eastmost region, they were, later, appropriated by the Trolls. Hence the name Troll-Dell. --Victorian Coast, the southern coast of Magella, between Sylcoast and Emeraldown Moors. The Victorian Coast was named after Ponco's eponymous progenitor, Victoria Ponco.